Improvement in curd-workers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I I WILLARD 0. SMITH, OF NORWAY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CURB-WORKERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,290, dated August 18, 1874: application filed June 27, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLARD 0. SMITH, of Norway, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Curd-Workers, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a top view of my improved machine, part of the cylinder being broken away to show the construction. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a side view of one end of the same. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, is a detail vertical section of the same end, taken through the linemx, Fig. 1. Fig. 4, Sheet 1, is a detail view of the wind-wheel. Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is an end view of the machine. Fig. 6, Sheet 2, is a vertical cross-section of the same, taken through the line y y, Fig. 1. I

Similar-letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and subsequently pointed out in the claims.

A is the frame-work of my improved machine, consisting of two end frames connected by two side boards. In bearings in the end frames A revolve the journals of a shaft, B, which journals are made longer than their bearings, so that said shaft may have a longitudinal movement. To the shaft B\ are attached two, three, or more wheels, 0, to the rims of which are attached perforated sheetmetal plates D, which form the curved wall of the cylinder. In the opposite sides of the cylinder B O D are formed openings, which.

are closed by doors d, formed by attaching sheets of perforated sheet metal to suitable frames to stiffen them. The rims of the central or intermediate wheels 0, opposite the doors d, are notched or recessed, as shown in Fig. 6, to prevent the curd from spatterin g out when thrown into the said cylinder. To one end of the shaft B is attached a large gearwheel, E, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of the small gear wheel F, attached to the short shaft G, which works in bearings attached to the frame-work of the machine, and to its outer end is attached the crank H, by which the machine is operated. The small gear-wheel F is made long, so that the longitudinal movement of the shaft B will not throw the gear-wheels E F out of gear with each other. To the inner end of the crankshaft G is attached a large gear-wheel, I, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of the small gear-wheel J, pivoted to the upper part of the frame-work A, and with which is rigidly connected a large pulley, K, around which passes a band, L, which also passes around the hub of the windwheel M. The wind-wheel M revolves loosely upon the shaft B, close to the end of the cylinder O D, so'as to force a stream of air through the said cylinder to cool the curd. By this construction of gearing the cylinder 0 D will be revolved slowly, while the wind or fan wheel M will be revolved rapidly, so as to force a strong stream of air through the said cylinder. To the rims of the wheels 0, at a little distance from the shell D, are secured two or more longitudinal bars, N, which are provided with cross-pins n, to break up the curd as the cylinder 0 D is slowly revolved. O is the whey tub or trough, which is made with a concave bottom to fit upon the lower side of the cylinder 0 D. The trough 0 moves up and down within the frame A, and to its ends are secured the lower ends of the bars 1?, in such a way that the said trough may be squarely and firmly supported when suspended by the said bars P. The bars P move up and down in guides attached to the end frames A, and have teeth formed upon their inner edges, which mesh into the teeth of the gear-wheels Q, attached to or formed upon the shaft B, so that the trough 0 may be raised and lowered by turning the said shaft B. The gear-wheels Q are thrown into and out of gear with the teeth of the rack-bars P by the longitudinal movement of the shaft B. One of the gearwheels Q. is made larger than the other, so that one end of the trough 0, when lowered, may be a little lower than the otherto cause the whey to run off freely. In the lower part of the end of the trough O is formed a discharge-hole, which is closed with a faucet or plug, 0, and to said end, beneath the said plug, is attached a spout, R, to guide the whey into a receiving-vessel. The upper edge of the end of the trough O is notched directly above the spout B, so that should the trough O overflow, the-whey, as it runs over, may flow into the spout R, and thence into the receiving-vessel. In slots in the end frames A are. placed bars S, in such positions that their upper ends may be at the side of the journals of the shaft B. The lower ends of the bars S are pivoted to the frames A, and to their upper ends are attached pins s, to pass between the teeth of the rack-bars P and support the trough 0 when the said bars are out of gear with the gear-wheels Q. When the shaft B is moved longitudinally to throw the gear-wheels Q into gear with the rack-bars P, the teeth of the said gear-wheels Q will push the pins 8 back out of the way. When the shaftB is moved in the other direction to throw the gearwheels Q out of gear with the racks P, a collar or shoulder of the said shaft B will push the bars S and pins 8' back to their places. T is a lever, pivoted to the frame A in such a position that when the shaft B is drawn in the direction to throw the gear wheels Q out of gear with racks P, its inner end may drop between the gearwheel Q and frame A, to lock the shaft B in place. As the lever T is operated to release the shaft B, the end of said lever T strikes against a pin or projection attached to or formed upon the side of the free end of the block U, and raises it. The block U is pivoted to the upper part of the frame A, and to the inner side of its free end is attached. an arm, V, which, when the shaft B is moved to bring the gear-wheels Q into gear with the racks P, drops down between the band L with the shaft B, the curd-cylinder O D, and wheel M, substantially as herein shown. and described.

3. The combination of the rack-bars P and gear-wheels Q with the whey-trough 0, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination of the pivoted bars S and pins 8 with the rack-bars P, gear-wheels Q, and cylinder-shaft B, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. The combination of the pivoted lever T, pivoted block U, and arm V with the shaft B, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

WILLARD SMITH.

Witnesses:

H. W. DEXTER, A. J. FENNER. 

